Once again, the Red Bull Ring Classics combined historic motorsport with an extensive supporting programme. The following video features selected impressions from the Interwetten Sports Car Challenge race weekend:
Klien-Lauda showdown only postponed
From an Austrian perspective, the direct battle between Christian Klien and Mathias Lauda was expected to be one of the major sporting highlights of the weekend. Qualifying initially suggested that everything was in place for exactly that: ahead of his first planned race start since 2020, Lauda caused a surprise by putting the PRC WPR66 on pole position. Interwetten brand ambassador Klien was just 0.123 seconds behind.
In the end, however, the two never got the chance to go head-to-head on track. A loss of compression in the second cylinder was discovered on Lauda’s car before the opening race, meaning he was unable to start either event. Klien initially led on Saturday before a gear-selection problem forced him into the pits. On Sunday, a sudden suspension failure prevented him from taking the start.
The Austrian duel is not off the table, though. Both Klien and Lauda made it clear on Sunday that they intend to compete again next year. There is therefore every chance that the showdown which failed to materialise in Spielberg could finally take place in 2027.
Fink dominates both races
On track, Marco Fink was the dominant figure of the weekend. The German won Saturday’s race ahead of three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner and Jérémy Siffert.
Fink was equally convincing in the second race. After a close opening phase with Werner, he pulled clear at the front and controlled the race for long stretches. His winning margin at the finish was 3.971 seconds. Werner again finished second, with Sven Barth completing the podium this time.
Those victories were already Fink’s fourth and fifth of the season. After two wins at Hockenheim and another at the Nürburgring, he has now won five of the six races held so far.
There were also several interesting stories further down the field. Twenty-year-old Swede Emma Wigroth recovered from an early spin in the opening race to finish fifth, producing an entertaining battle with the vastly more experienced Franz Konrad along the way. She finished sixth on Sunday.
Season finale awaits in Brno
Spielberg therefore brought an eventful motorsport weekend to a close, with the Interwetten Sports Car Challenge providing not only two races but also plenty of memorable moments involving drivers, teams and cars.
There is still one more stop to come for the Interwetten Sports Car Challenge this season. The series will head to Brno from 11 to 13 September for the season finale.
